Thomas veitch



"Oht. Z, 1928; I 1,686,299

T. VEITCH VACUUM FUEL FEEDING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 27, 1925 SK F g.1- Ar MAI Fla-E. 7/ m u 1 Q Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

THOMAS VEITC H, OF BRADLEY BEACH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF FORTY PER CENT TO PAUL M. ABR-AHAMS AND TWENTY PER CENT TO ISRAEL G. CASS, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VACUUM FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE FOR lNTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed June 27, 1925. Serial No. 39,893.

My invention. relates to improvements in vacuum fuel feeding devices for internal combustion engines in which the vacuum raises the fuel intermittently from a tank below the level of the engine carbureter to a chamber controlled by a float and valve, the fuel passing from this chamber through a check valve to an atmospherically vented lower chamber and thence by gravity to the carbureter; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a cheap, substantial. and readily constructed double chamber or tank; second, to provide a single cover containing all the connections and mechanism for'nnit assembly; third, to provide a rapid clamping means for attaching to and removing the cover from the upper chamber for ease in assembling, cleaning and inspection, fourth, to provide a vacuum and vent valve that will not wear or stick and that has large ports to insure the rapid filling and emptying of the vacuum ch amber; fifth, to provide a valve trip mechanism that is positive in its action and comprises a minimum number of parts float acting through a large angular range; sixth, to provide an outlet valve from the upper or vacuum chamber into the lower vented one that will open and close promptly with the least difference of head, that will give an unrestricted flow when open and that will discharge sediment and all extraneous matter entering the vacuum chamber with the fuel. 7 y 5 The several objects of my invention outlined above together with others that will shortly appear are now to be described and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one form of a containing vacuum fuel tank, my invention showing the upper or vacuum chamber and the lower or supply chamber or tank; 2 is a part section on the line A-A taken in a plane at right angles to the section plane of Fig. 1 and shows the vacuum valve, trip mechanism and float; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve. and trip mechanism in the same plane as Fig. 1 but with the valve and trip n'u-iehanism shown in a differ" and that will operate with a small volume ent position; Fig. 4 is a partial sectional View of ainodilied form of vacuum valve that may be used with the regular trip mechanism of my invention; and Fig. 5 is a partial section of the tank and cover showing a means of securing the cover by an interrupted screw or multiple sectional thread.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote the same parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Fig. 1, numeral 1 represents the outer tank or supply chamber. I prefer to make this of sheet metal seamed and provided at the top 2 with a wired edge for strength and. a finished seating. This chamber may be vented to the atmosphere in several ways, the way I prefer is to provide grooves across the top of the wired edge. The bottom 3 of this chamber is preferably seamed to the side wall and is provided with an outlet flange at and a pipe 5 leading to the carbu rotor of the internal combustion engine. The vacuum chamber 6 is about half the height of the supply chamber and is made of such outside diameter that it fits loosely into the supply chamber. It has a wired edge 7 that sets on top of edge 2 and it is thus held suspended at the-top of chamber 1. It is not necessary that the joint between these two chambers be air-tight, so no gasket is shown although one may be used.

The outlet valve for permitting the liquid fuel drawn into the upper or vacuum chamber 6 to flow by gravity into the supply chamber 8 is composed of a seat 9 preferably formedintegral with the base 10 secured to the bottom of chamber 6. The valve head 11 is rounded into spherical contour so that it will. seat tightly, although by reason of the fact that thevalve is spherical and loosely articulated, it will assume a slightly different position each time it is seated. The shape is used because it permits a free discharge of liquid and offers no lodging for sediment. Another advantage for the shape is that it closes promptly due to increased pressure on the concave under surface when any liquid tends to pass upward through the valve. The valve head 11 is supported on a center stud 12 passing loosely through a hole in the end of a bar 18 pivoted in the base lugs 14. The bar 13 is counterbalanced by a Weight 15 just heavy enough to hold the valve closed. The advantage of this construction is that when the valve opens it opens fully and promptly. as its resistance does not increase with the increase of opening. The cover 15 for the vacuum chamber I prefer to form fron' sheet metal in a press, giving" it a raised an g'nlar rim 16 for mechanical strength and at the same time use the recess to hold the gaske 1'? of cork or other elastic material not affected by the fuel.

To fill the vacuim'i chamber with frel from the main nl: at a lower level requires a piped connection b tween the vacuum chamber and the bottom oi? the '1 his tank. The pipe leading to the n'iain tank is shown, at 18. This is screwed into a "flanged iitting 19 which in turn is screwed into a recess 20 formed intogral with the cover and holding at its lower end a screen 21 to prevent large particles of foreign. material entering the vacuum chamber.

The vacuum and vent valve seat I prefer to form froma fitting of hexagonal or squm'e materia tapped its upper end 23 to take the pipe 24 connecting with the inlet manifold of the internal combustion engine. he lower end 525 of this fitting is threaded so tl'iat the nut 26 may serve to hold it in place in the cover 15. It preferably so located that a flatsi le 2'? will lit against the inside of the rim 16 and so prevent turning. The lower end of 2 is cut into a v shape with the sides forming an angle of about 90 for best results. These sides form the valve seats and through one is drilled the vacuum port 28 connecting with the tapped opening 23 and through the other is drilled the vent port 29 passin upward and then at right angle through the side of the fitting to the outer air. The valve 30 for alternately opening and closing these ports is also V shaped and is formed preferably from a short cylinder with two sides out at an angle to each other the included angle being a few degrees less than the angle formed by the valve seats. The V edge of the valve is adapted to rest in the bottom of the V groove of the seat and thus permit the valve to'rock back and :l'orth from one seat to the other without lower end of the valve 30' and so retain it in alignment with the seat (see Fig. The lower end 38 oi the E shaped support is bent upward at 34 forming two knife edge bear ings one at each side for the float arm 35, the

two sides of which have V shaped notches 3-6 esting on the knife edge bearings 34!;-3L upon which the float a rm is adapted to rock back and forth onthese as the float arm is rai d and lowered by the float 37 secured between the arms -35 by the rivet a slot in the tonguesand has a helical compression sprir i l surrounding it and pressing against the head of the Y and against the tongue 10. The V ofthe i head forms a bear-- in for the free end of the toggle lever 41 and forces that member toward the valve 30 heldir it t its seat. The rockingangular toggle lever -11 mover: in. ()1 steps 16 an enable the toggle lever 11 to forcibly rock the valvewlO from the contact with one at into contact with the other, as it moves from contact-with fulcrum 4:6 into contact with fulcrum 17. The mechanism that initiates the movement of the toggle lever 11 comprises forked ends or teeth projecting from the float arm opposite the V notches 8(3-3(3. These fork teeth cml race the extended sides 19-419 of the toggle lever 11 and the s v rlfaces ofthe fork teeth and that are adapted to coa :t with the tog le sides 1S'19 are flared out wardly gener y resei ibling the contour of gearteeth. for the purpose which will appear hereafter.

The clamp with which I secure the cover 15 to the double chambered tank comprises a metal bar 52 with its ends bent into hook forms 53 and provided with two thumb or other type of screws or. The hooks are acapted. to fit under the Wired edge of the supply chamber or tank 1 on diametrically opposite sides and when'the screws are tightened down against the cover rim 16, the vacuum el'iamber is made air-tight and the both tanks are eecurely held in position. The screws may be locked against loosening by a wire passed through holes in each. This cl mp liur' nishes a rapid and convenient means of sembl'y and also oil? inspection and cleaning, unions are provided at or near the vacuum and gasoline fittings 19 and I do not limit myself to the use of two screws in the clamp as a single screw at the center may be used as may also a cam pres n J parting from my invention.

is limited by p l i? which also act fulcra to means, without de- 1 no i A desirable means of securing the cover to the vacuum chamber is shown at Fig. 5 and consists in makmg the outer rim of the cover 15 of great enough depth to have a screw thread indented in its side or to have a series of short thread sections so arranged that they coact with a similar set of thread sections 61-61 pressed outward in the Wall of the tank 1. which for the purpose, hasits wired edge 2 on the inside as shown. This construction permits the cover to be removed by loosening the pipe connecting unions and giving the cover a partial turn.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of my vacuum fuel feeding device. Assuming first that the cover has been tightly clamped in place and that the various pipes are properly connected. The engine is first started either by the fuel in the carbureter or by the crank or startin means usually provided, this produces a partial vacuum in the inlet manifold and as the vacuum chamber 6 is empty the float 37 and valve mechanism will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A partial vacuum will be produced in chamber 6 and this will immediately start to flll with fuel through the pipe 18.

As the chamber fills the float 37 rises and the lower position of, the tooth surface of 50 contacts with 49 and presses the toggle 41 to the right until the two toggle members are in line; at which time the point of contact between the surface 50 and 49 has moved to near the outer end of 50 and the float is near the upper end of its travel. A little further upward movement of the float presses the toggle levers slightly beyond the straight alignment and they snap over to the right until ll comes into contact with fulcrum 47, then the spring pressure of 44 together with the inertia of both toggle members is transferred into a push, to the left, of oint 43 and to the upper part of the valve 30, causing it to rock to the left and to close the vacuum port 28 and to open the vent port 29. As soon as this occurs the interior'partial vacuum of the chamber 6 is equalized to atmospheric pressure ad the valve 11 opens permitting the fuel in chamber 6 to be discharged by gravity into the tank land from here flowing through the pipe 5 to the carbureter.

As the chamber 6 empties and the float descends the same action but in a reverse direction takes place. The lower surface of 51 contacts and moves the toggle lever 41 to the left. This movement continues until the toggle train is unbalanced by passing the center of alignment, then the center 45 snaps over to the left, toggle 41 strikes the fulcrum A6 and the valve 30 is forcibly rocked to the right into the position it occupied at the beginning and as shown in Fig. 1. The action of filling and emptying will continue until the supply chamber becomes filled. The float cannot then reach its lowermost position to snap the valve to the filling position, but as soon as liquid flows from the lower chamber and permits the float to descend, the valve will open the vacuum port 28 and the filling action will recommence.

In Fig. 3 the float 35 and the fork teeth are shown in the position where the toggle mem here have just snapped the valve over to the vented position. The advantage of the changing leverage ratio is illustrated in this figure and shows that, at the end of the float travel either up or down the contact point between the fork teeth of the float arm and the toggle lever 41 is at the extreme end of the gear tooth surface and at the point of least leverage ratio, whereas at the beginning of the float travel the contact is at the point of greatest ratio and the resistance to motion of the toggle train is in the same ratio; that is, greatest at the start and practically nothing at the point of snap over. This means that the float does not submerge unduly at the v nning before it gains enough power to eta thev toggle movement and then bob upward or down suddenly against the decreasingresistance, but in my invention it starts moving steadily and furnishing power to the toggles until the point of snap over is reached at which time it is almost at its end of travel, is doing very little work so is floating near its normal submergence. A still further gain secured by the changing leverage ratio of the float arm is that it enables a much smaller float to be used and because the float does not suddenly bob up or drop down a greater effective angular travel of the arm may be used. The small volume float permits cork or other solid light material float to be used and also leaves a greater capacity in the vacuum chamber for the charge of liquid fuel. The greater quantity of liquid handled per float oscillation means less wear on the mechanism and longer life, at the same time the more regular even oscillation of the float reduces to a minimum all shock and strains on the mechanism.

I wish to call attention to another very important feature of my valve and trip mechanism; that it insures the valvebeing held firmly in contact with either valve seat up to the very instant of snap over. In Fig. 3 it will be noted that the valve is being held to the left hand or vacuum port seat by the pressure of the spring acting on toggle 411 which tends to turn as a lever about the ful- 3 crum 47. As the float arm moves down the toggle train is brought to the position of 11 and 42* (shown dotted) in which position it is ready to snap over to the other side, but pressure even now is tending to hold the valve firmly against the same valve seat and this pressure will remain until 41 has come into contact with the fulcrum 46. I have been referring to the trip mechanism as a two membered toggle train whereas in fact it f ll (ill

is a three membered train, the center line of the valve, from the V edge to point 43 being the third member. The trip mechanism will not operate without this third member.

Fig. t shows a modified form of valve but using the same toggle trip mechanism. 22 is the valve fitting, 28 the vacuum port and 29 the vent port. The valve seat 53 is a plane and the valve 30 has an operating face a few degrees less than 180. A notch in the center of the valve seat receives projection 52 on the valve and preven i i from sliding. 4:1 is one toggle member and 42 the other, lt being the spring while 46 and 47 are the fulcrum abutments. No other parts of mechanism are shown as the action is the same as in the preferred form just described.

While I have shown and described in detail the best form for applying my invention now known to me, I do not therefore, intend to limit myself to the specific details of such form, but desire to cover the principle of my invention broadly inany form in which it may be embodied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a vacuulnfuel feed apparatus com prising a suction chamber, a valve seat having a V-shape, a port in eachside of the V and a wedge-shaped valve rocking within said V, and toggle means for holding said valve against said seat to retain said valve against one or the other of said ports.

2. In a vacuum fuel teed apparatus, comprising an inlet port for fuel, a valve seat having'vacuum and venting ports therein, a rocker valve cooperating at all times with one of said ports, toggle means associated with said rocker valve, and float operable means for cooperating with said toggle means for actuating said valve, and. limiting stops for controlling the extreme movement in either direction of said valve.

3. In a vacuum fuel feed apparatus, comprising a suction chamber, of fuel inlet therein,-a valve seat having a plurality of ports therein, a valve movable in saidseat, a plurality of toggle arms foractuating said valve, means for limiting the movement of said toggle arms. and float operable means for actuating said toggle arms.

4. In a vacuum fuel apparatus, comprisin a suction chamber, a valve seat having ports communicating withsaid suction chamber. a valve adapted to rock on said valve seat for cooperating with said ports, toggle means associated. with said valve for operating the same, limiting means for determining the movement of said toggle means in either direction, and float means for actuating said toggles.

5. In avacuum "fuel feed apparatus, comprising suction chamber, a valve seat having ports communicating with a source of suction .and with the atmosphere, a valve adapted to cooperate with said valve seat for controlling the opening and closing of said ports, toggle means associated with said valve, tension means for maintaining the toggle means in contact with said valve, and buoyancy operable means for initiating the toggle movement.

6. In a vacuum :Euel feed apparatus, comprising a suction chamber, a valve seat having ports communicating with a source of suction and with the atmosphere, a valve adapted to cooperate with said valve seat for controlling: the opening and closing of said ports, toggle means associated with said valve, tension means for maintaining the toggle means in contact with said valve, buoyancy operable means for initiating the toggle movement, and a fulcrum cooperating with said togg le means for determining the direction 01 movement of said valve.

7. In a vacuum fuel feed apparatus, the combination with a supply chamber, of a suction chamber cooperating therewith, a valve seathaving a plurality of ports communicatwith the suction chamber, a valve adapted to rock on the valve seat and toggle means for controlling the movement of said valve 8. In vacuum fuel feed apparatus, the combination with an upper suction chamber, and a lower supply chamber, a valve seat in suction chamber having ports communieating with suction means and with the atmosphere, a V shaped valve located in said suction chamber and means for actuatingsaid valve in rocking engagement with said valve seat whereby to intermittently close the respective ports in said valve seat, and means operable by buoyancy for actuating said valve.

9. In a vacuum fuel, feed apparatus, the combination with. an upper suction chamber, and a lower supply chamber, a valve seat in said suction chamber having ports communicatin with suction means and with the atmosphere, a V shaped valve located in said suction chamber and means for actuating said. valve in rocking engagement with said valve seat whereby to intermittently close the respective ports in said valve seat, a toggle lever in rocking engagement with the valve, abut ments for limiting the rocki movement of said lever, and a float cooperating wi the toggle lever at the extremity thereof for oscillating the same. i

10. In a vacuum fuel eed amnuratus. the combination. with an upper suction chaml'ier, and a lower supply chamber. a valve seat in said suction chamber having ports communieating with suction means and with the atmosphere, a "1' shaped valve located in said suction chamber and means for actuating said valve in rocking engagement with said valve seat, whereby to intermittcntlv close the re spective ports insaid valve seat, a toggle .4 3

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in roe-king engagement with the valve, a plurality of abutments for limiting the rocking movement of said lever, a second toggle lever movable about a fixed bearing, and spring pressed into jointed engagement With the movable end of said first toggle lever, an arm oscillatable about the fixed bearing and having a fork adapted to engage the movable end at the first section of toggle lever, and a float cooperating with said arm for causing it to oscillate as fuel enters and leaves the suction chamber.

11. In a vacuum fuel feed apparatus, the combination with a supply chamber, of a suction chamber associated therewith, and means for filling and venting said suction chamber. said means consisting of a toggle operated rocker arm cooperating with a valve seat containing a plurality of ports and gravity operable means for discharging said fuel from said suction chamber, into said supply chamber.

12. In a vacuum fuel feed apparatus, the combination of a vacuum chamber. and a fuel inlet therefor, a vacuum conduit for connect ing said chamber to an intake, a vent conduit for connecting said chamber with the outer air, a valve for closing each of said conduits, means for exerting a constant pressure on said valves to hold the same in open and in closed aositions means for oaeratin said valves.

adapted simultai'ieously to close one valve with the openin 01. the other, a float and means for connecting said float with said valve-operating means including a lost motion device whereby as said valve approaches its extreme oi? travel in either direction, it will operate said valve operation mechanism through said lost motion device.

THOMAS VEITCH, 

